Report: First destination after undergraduate degree
Our FIRST DESTINATION REPORT is based on our survey of new graduates of each academic year. We ask their first destination after the undergraduate degree; whether working, continuing education, in military service, volunteering, or seeking. We also ask about their career preparation. The survey stays open for six months after commencement.
Select a year to view menu to choose total university, a college, or a major report.
- 2020-2021 graduates
- 2019-2020 graduates
- 2018-2019 graduates
- 2017-2018 graduates
- 2016-2017 graduates
- 2015-2016 graduates
- 2014-2015 graduates
- 2013-2014 graduates
All report information is subject to correction and updating.
About response percentages and numbers:
- Total university response is usually well above 50%, but 2019-2020 was not typical due to COVID-19 impact on 2019-2020 survey timeline and response rate.
- College population numbers vary greatly; university data are influenced by the larger populations of respondents. For example, in 2020-2021, seven colleges graduated undergraduate students, but 30% of respondents were from one college, Engineering.
- The same applies when viewing college data; majors with larger populations and more respondents have more influence on college data. For example, 2020-2021 grads represented 13 majors in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, but one major, human nutrition, foods, and exercise (HNFE), comprised 40% of the respondents for that college.
- Major data are in the academic year reports, above.
TOTAL UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGES, THREE YEARS
SURVEY REPONSE
| Response rates | 2020-2021 % |
2020-2021 N |
2019-2020 % |
2019-2020 N |
2018-2019 % |
2018-2019 N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total university | 64% | 4737 | 31% | 2113 | 55% | 3789 |
| College of Agriculture & Life Sciences | 59% | 445 | 21% | 154 | 45% | 404 |
| College of Architecture & Urban Studies | 63% | 274 | 28% | 112 | 48% | 216 |
| College of Business | 69% | 921 | 53% | 611 | 63% | 769 |
| College of Engineering | 70% | 1435 | 30% | 562 | 62% | 1155 |
| College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences | 60% | 794 | 23% | 267 | 49% | 583 |
| College of Natural Resources & Environment | 60% | 178 | 28% | 78 | 63% | 186 |
| College of Science | 59% | 690 | 28% | 329 | 50% | 476 |
TOTAL UNIVERSITY, THREE YEARS
FIRST DESTINATION OF RESPONDENTS
| First destination | 2020-2021 |
2019-2020 |
2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Response % | 64% | 31% | 55% |
| Response N | 4737 | 2113 | 3789 |
| Working % | 50% | 64% | 60% |
| Working N | 2349 |
1352 | 2261 |
| Continuing education % | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Continuing education N | 919 | 343 | 633 |
| Military % | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Military N | 147 | 45 | 99 |
| Volunteering % | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Volunteering N | 25 | 16 | 33 |
| Seeking work % | 21% | 13% | 16% |
| Seeking work N | 982 | 282 | 617 |
| Seeking continuing education % | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| Seeking continuing education N | 293 | 64 | 127 |
| Not seeking % | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| Not seeking N | 22 | 11 | 19 |
What about your major? Major and college data are in the academic year reports, above.
Grads who reported seeking (work or continuing education) could update their responses any time until the survey closed.
TOTAL UNIVERSITY, SINGLE YEAR 2020-2021
FIRST DESTINATION BAR GRAPH
About first destination variance by colleges
- Colleges and majors have varied patterns in first destinations of respondents.
- Three colleges, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and Science, typically have a quarter to a third of respondents indicate continuing education as a first destination after the bachelor's degree.
- As a college, Business typically has the lowest percentage of continuing education, as compared to other colleges. However, a major within that college, accounting, typically has high levels of continuing education (25-30% in the last three years).
- Major and college data are in the academic year reports, above.
COLLEGES, SINGLE YEAR 2020-2021
FIRST DESTINATION BAR GRAPH
On the graph:
- Employed includes working (50% total univ.), U.S. military (3% total univ.), volunteering (1% total univ.)
- Continuing education is 19% total univ.
- Seeking includes seeking employement (21% total univ.) seeking continuing education (6% total univ.), and not seeking (0% total univ.).
- Percentages do not always sum to 100 due to rounding.
About continuing education details
- Respondents who have been admitted to continuing education as a first destination after the undergraduate degree are asked to indicate the degree type and program of study they are pursuing, and the institution they will attend.
- Respondents who wish to continue education, but have not yet been admitted, should indicate on the survey they are seeking continued education. Those respondents can update their survey later if/when they are admitted.
| Three years: responses about continuing education | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| % respondents seeking continuing education | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| % respondents admitted to continuing education | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| N continuing education | 919 | 343 | 633 |
| Admitted: degree type master's degree | 13% | 11% | 11% |
| Admitted: degree type doctoral degree | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Admitted: other degree types, or non-degree, or did not provide degree type | 1% | 1% | 2% |
BY COLLEGE: CONTINUING EDUCATION PERCENTAGES AND DEGREE TYPES
- Continuing education percentages vary by college.
- Quick view of continuing education by college for the most recent three years.
BY UNDERGRAD MAJOR: LIST OF GRADUATE DEGREES AND INSTITUTIONS
- List by undergraduate major of continuing education degree, institution, and location for each continuing education respondent, 2020-2021 grads.
When viewing the list:- You can sort the list by clicking on any heading.
- You can opt to view a specific college or major.
- To quick view a prior year, you can change the academic year in the URL.
You can also view continuing education highlights for 2017-2018 grads and 2018-2019 grads.
2020-2021 GRADS
BY UNDERGRAD MAJOR: EMPLOYERS, JOB TITLES, AND LOCATIONS
- View list, by undergraduate major, of post-grad employer, job title, and location for each employed respondent, 2020-2021 grads.
When viewing the list:
- You can sort the list by clicking on any heading.
- You can opt to view a specific college or major.
- For a quick view of prior years, change the academic year in the URL.
2020-2021 GRADS
MOST-REPORTED EMPLOYERS BY RESPONDENTS
- View list of employers sequenced by number of respondents (2020-2021 grads) who reported working for this employer.
Some things you can see in that list:- The first listed employer was reported by 67 grads who comprise 2.68% of employed respondents.
- Eleven employers were each reported by more than 20 grads.
- Virginia Tech was reported as the employer by 14 grads, and is the 15th most-reported employer.
- For a quick view of prior years, change the academic year in the URL.
About salary and bonus data
- Employed graduates (working and military) are asked to report salary and bonus.
- We report median (the value in the middle) and not mean (the average) because the median is more reliable. Averages are skewed by outliers. Medians provide a more realistic picture. Particularly with self-reported data, errors and inaccuracies occur, making averages more subject to being skewed.
- Medians are shown when four or more individuals reported salary or bonus.
- 25th and 75th percentiles are shown when 12 or more individuals reported salary or bonus.
- View salary table with data for university, each college, and each major.
- View bonus table with data for university, each college, and each major.
- Salary and bonus data for each college and major are also in the academic year reports.
TOTAL UNIVERSITY, THREE YEARS
SALARY AND BONUS DATA HIGHLIGHTS
| 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % of employed who did not report salary | 29% | 24% | 17% |
| % of employed who reported salary | 71% | 76% | 83% |
| N who reported salary | 1768 | 1064 | 1968 |
| Salary median | $63,000 | $64,000 | $61,800 |
| % of employed who received a bonus | 23% | 30% | 31% |
| N who received a bonus | 564 | 418 | 741 |
| Bonus median | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
Grads were asked:
Regarding the job you accepted: Which best describes the way you first made contact with this employer?
Select one response.
Please note this question is not asking about all the job search methods used.
Data for each major and college is in the academic year reports, above.
| First contact with employer whose job grad accepted | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worked / volunteered with employer in the past | 12% | 10% | 10% |
| Knew or met employer through someone I know / networking | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Career fair | 22% | 26% | 26% |
| Handshake (job posting platform used by Virginia Tech career center for employers to post jobs for VT students) | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Employer interviewed in Smith Career Center (On-Campus Interviewing Program) | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Went directly to employer's website | 10% | 9% | 9% |
| Used a job-seeker website other than Handshake | 11% | 12% | 7% |
| Info posted or messaged from my academic department | 4% | 2% | 2% |
| Employer spoke at a presentation I attended | 2% | 2% | 1% |
| Did not answer | 14% | 15% | 21% |
TOTAL UNIVERSITY, THREE YEARS
JOB RELATED TO CAREER GOALS AND MAJOR
Employed grads were asked:
Do you consider your job to be related to your career goals?
| Job related to career goals | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very | 62% | 60% | 60% |
| Somewhat | 23% | 24% | 18% |
| Not | 3% | 3% | 2% |
| Did not answer | 12% | 13% | 19% |
Employed grads were asked:
Do you consider your job to be related to your college major?
| Job related to college major | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very | 61% | 56% | 58% |
| Somewhat | 21% | 26% | 18% |
| Not | 6% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not answer | 12% | 13% | 19% |
TOTAL UNIVERSITY, THREE YEARS
LEARNED JOB SEARCH SKILLS | SOURCES OF LEARNING | USED CAREER CENTER
Grads were asked:
Which best describes the extent to which you learned job search skills during college?
| Learned job search skills during college: | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| I learned most that I needed | 29% | 27% | 28% |
| I learned some, but not all, that I needed | 50% | 42% | 46% |
| I learned nothing, or very little | 9% | 10% | 8% |
| Did not answer | 11% | 20% | 18% |
Grads were asked:
If you learned job search skills, where did you learn them? Check all that apply.
| SOURCES OF LEARNING JOB SEARCH SKILLS | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career and Professional Development; advising, presentations, website, etc. | 37% | 34% | 34% |
| Career Planning Guide; online booklet created by CPD. | 9% | 12% | 13% |
| Other books, magazines, print materials. | 7% | 6% | 7% |
| Websites external to Virginia Tech. | 39% | 33% | 36% |
| Academic-credit course in my major or college. | 33% | 28% | 29% |
| Not-for-credit program in my major or college. | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| Advisors, staff, professors in my major or college. | 43% | 38% | 39% |
| Other VT advisors, staff, professors, NOT in my major or college. | 12% | 12% | 11% |
| Employers, mentors at jobs, internships. | 48% | 47% | 48% |
| Parents, adult relatives, family friends. | 56% | 47% | 52% |
| Peers. | 47% | 44% | 46% |
| Did not answer | 16% | 20% | 16% |
Grads were asked:
As you recall: During college, did you use any resources provided by the Virginia Tech career center? (could include advising, workshops, website, Handshake, employment interviews, etc.)
| Used career center during college: | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Never | 18% | 13% | 16% |
| Don't recall or unsure | 12% | 8% | 11% |
| Yes, but not often | 50% | 46% | 48% |
| Yes, often | 10% | 12% | 8% |
| Did not answer | 10% | 20% | 16% |
TOTAL UNIVERSITY, THREE YEARS
EXPERIENCE DURING COLLEGE
| Did you have any type of career-related experience during college? | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 76% | 71% | 75% |
| No | 14% | 7% | 10% |
| Did not answer | 10% | 22% | 16% |
| Grads who wished they had gotten more experience during college (from REGRETS below) |
36% | 23% | 31% |
| What types of experience did you have? Check all that apply. | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer work | 23% | 18% | 22% |
| Part-time job | 30% | 24% | 27% |
| Summer job | 29% | 25% | 29% |
| Unpaid internship | 14% | 11% | 14% |
| Paid internship | 53% | 58% | 56% |
| Co-op | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Undergraduate research | 21% | 19% | 20% |
| Field study | 10% | 6% | 9% |
| Did not answer | 23% | 28% | 24% |
| Number of PAID internships during college | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | 23% | 25% | 24% |
| Two | 15% | 20% | 18% |
| Three | 7% | 7% | 7% |
| Four or more | 3% | 3% | 2% |
| Not applicable or did not answer | 53% | 45% | 48% |
| Number of UNPAID internships during college | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | 13% | 11% | 13% |
| Two | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Three | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Four or more | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Not applicable or did not answer | 83% | 86% | 83% |
To see major and college data, see reports by academic year, above.
TOTAL UNIVERSITY, THREE YEARS
REGRETS ABOUT CAREER PREPARATION DURING COLLEGE
Graduates were asked:
If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning?
| If you could start over in college, is there anything you would do differently related to career planning? | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. Mostly I did what I needed to achieve my goals. | 38% | 28% | 38% |
| Yes, I would do something differently. | 52% | 35% | 46% |
| Did not answer. | 10% | 26% | 16% |
Graduates were asked:
If yes (to above) check all that apply, to "I wish I had..."
| I wish I had: (check all that apply) (top regrets in bold) | 2020-2021 | 2019-2020 | 2018-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learned more, or earlier, about career options. | 37% | 26% | 33% |
| Learned more, or earlier, about graduate or professional school. | 21% | 14% | 18% |
| Asked advisors, staff, professors for advice, earlier, or more often. | 30% | 20% | 27% |
| Gotten more experience related to my major or career goals. | 36% | 23% | 31% |
| Started my job search earlier. | 28% | 17% | 23% |
| Used more or different job search resources. | 17% | 12% | 14% |
| (Did not check any regrets) | 43% | 62% | 48% |
To see major and college data, see reports by academic year, above.